Closed on November 23-24, 2016
In Observenence of Thanksgiving

Upcoming Events

Novermber 12th: Longsword Workshop

Looking for a gift for that special someone? This is perfect! Give the gift of sword fighting to them. You can send him or her to the class, or you can attend with him! The first three hours are spend on the curriculum of the school and the final hour is spent working on a specific technique from Fior dei Battaglia (Flos Duellatorum written in 1409).

Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Where: 3266 De La Cruz

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Cost: $70 in advance or $80 at the door

Novermber 13th: Sword and Shield Workshop

We will study defensive and offensive use of the shield for fighting as well as the use
of the sword. There are no known surviving manuscripts detailing the use of the large shield for combat, however there are the Nordic Sagas as well as artwork and architecture reliefs showing the shield as a fighting tool.

The techniques we will be studying in this class were learned from years of practice and study fighting with, and against, the sword and shield. We will look at the types of techniques used by the Viking and Saxon shield techniques of the 8th-10th centuries, the battle field shield techniques of the Knights of the 14th century and the Scottish Highlanders of the 18th century.

Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm

Where: 3266 De La Cruz

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Cost: $70 in advance or $80 at the door

October 22nd: Emergency Medical Tech. with Ghaf

Join us for a morning session on first aid with Modern Combat's very own Ghaf! This day contains different material from Day 1, such as: physical assessment of an injured person, the platinum first 10 minutes of trauma care, stabilizing and bandaging injuries, and an update on new C.P.R. standards and practice. This class is limited to 16 students, so please R.S.V.P. with Jamie or Steaphen.

Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm with 45 min. lunch break (not provided)

Where: 3266 De La Cruz

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Cost: $40 per day or $60 for both days

LIMITED TO 16 STUDENTS
R.S.V.P. with Jamie or Steaphen

About Us

Are you looking for a well established school in which to study martial arts in the European tradition? DEMAS has been in business since 2000 in the San Jose / Santa Clara area and has worked with many students over the years. Our school studies and works on the fundamental principles of martial arts in order to be able to understand and use many different styles and weapons.

Davenriche has experience in training and running theatrical fights and is available to assist in those endeavors. People mistakenly associate martial arts exclusively with the Asian Fighting arts. Currently, there is a reemergence in the study of historically accurate Western Martial Arts from medieval and renaissance fighting manuscripts. These manuscripts have reveled a well established, highly sophisticated European fighting system employing swords, rapiers, daggers, shields, pole axes and more.

Unfortunately, theatrical and popular media portrayals have reduced European martial arts to the myth that combatants merely crudely bludgeoned, hacked, and slashed savagely at their opponents. In reality, European martial arts integrate footwork, avoidance, and the ability to use timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities. These skills include techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking, throwing, and disarming of the opponent. European martial arts are distinctly different from modern Olympic fencing and Asian martial arts.

Enthusiasts of modern fencing, historical reenactment and role playing games are now starting to focus on historically accurate methods of medieval and renaissance fighting skills. The differences between the English, Italian and Spanish schools of rapier and sword play have been studied at length. How to properly wear your weapon, particularly when in a crowd, and knowing when not to use it, are two of the skills a swordsman must have.

It takes years before you can do anything in martial arts: Progress may seem painfully slow at first, but it will come. You should start to develop some skills within the first month, feeling more comfortable and developing a decent understanding of what you will accomplish. You can earn your first rank in three to four months. That said, you can spend your entire life perfecting your forms and training your mind and spirit.

Today in our school, we use wooden swords (called wasters), fencing helmets to protect the head and face, gloves, and padded jackets to protect the hands and arms. Safety is a primary concern, so we work very hard on mixing the medieval and renaissance martial arts with the safety concerns of the 21st century.

When you join our school, you will get to study the European tradition of martial arts while you learn how to use different kinds of swords and daggers. And, in the process you may pick up some history, physics, and geometry, and have fun while you are learning these skills.

If you haven't been to our school before, please refer to our directions. Your G.P.S. may misguide you.

The truth about martial arts

Will I get hurt in martial arts training?

The martial arts are safer than many sports because precautions are taken against injury. As a form of self-defense, the training is designed to help you avoid getting hurt. That's not to say you won't risk getting bruised, twisting an ankle, or getting knocked down. As a beginning student, you aren't signing up to get kicked in the head. You may not experience any physical contact until you've mastered quite a few moves, which should allow you a fighting chance to protect yourself. There is a danger in any activity, but control and safety are prime concerns in our study of the martial art. As much technique and as many principles as we study and learn, control is always stressed in all our actions.

We do everything we can to keep our classes as safe as possible, but ultimately safety is a concern and responsibility for all of us. Each one of us has to look out for our own safety and the safety of those around us.

School Demonstrations

Are you a teacher, or do you know a teacher that would like to have a demonstration at their school for their class? We have several options available. Usually if history is only taught as a bunch of dates in a book, it really is pretty boring. What we do when we visit a class is bring history to life and try to engender a desire in the students to learn more about history. If they receive the opportunity to hold a sword in their hand or put on a knight's helmet, then history isn't just a bunch of dates; It is a real, tangible thing that the students can really touch.

Gift Certificates Available

Don't know what to get that special person for Christmas or birthdays? If that special person is interested in history, or martial arts, or both, thn a gift certificate to a month of classes may be the perfect gift for them.

Now you can buy the Beginner's Guide to the Longsword as an EBook here!

Our Mission

DEMAS is dedicated to promoting historically accurate sword fighting as a martial art. We will instruct students in the European heritage of martial arts and thereby offer alternatives to role-playing, fantasy, and sport fencing. We will encourage each student to develop the confidence to try new things and trust their abilities. If those new things do not work, we encourage students to learn from their mistakes, and find new ways to approach the problem to solve it. In the process, students will improve their problem solving skills, their self-esteem, and their awareness.